Best ski resort near Denver?

This January I will be heading to Denver for a 3-day weekend of skiing. I plan to stay in Breckenridge and ski there for 2 days (Saturday and Sunday), but I would like to try a different resort on my way there from Denver on the first day (Friday).

Any recommendations? I am trying to choose between Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Arapahoe Basin.

The factors I consider most important are the quality and varied-ness of runs and their snow quality, the crowd, and proximity to Denver (note: Vail is a too far West).

To give you an idea about my skiing ability, I can handle the diamond/double diamond runs on the east coast -- Vermont -- although I realize the ranking are different out here, and I prefer groomed, so mogul-filled bowls are not necessarily attractive to me.Best ski resort near Denver?
Winter Park, in my opinion, by far. It has a wide variety in terrain, is generally less crowded than other mountains, and has access to the sickest mogul runs in Colorado. Granted, you say that's not really your thing, but they're there.



And A-Basin is something else. If you've never been there, its worth a stop. Very challenging mountain with lots of places you can huck off rocks, cornices, etc. It also has some extremely steep groomers that you can fly down. Not too bad in the way of crowds, but I will warn you - this is not a big mountain and it is not a mountain for beginners.
ya dude vail is only 45 minutes to one hour past breck and trust me bro, it is 100% hands down no question worth the extra beautiful drive. but if it is that big of a deal I would actually say copper or keystoneBest ski resort near Denver?
A-Basin isn't all that great, nor is Copper. They're most convenient on the way to Brekenridge but if you're going on a ski trip it isn't worth your money or time.



Winter Park is nice, but isn't really on the way. You'll need to drive off the main highway (I-70) too far in my opinion. It's also a SLOW drive over the pass.



Your best bet is going to Vail. In my opinion it's worth the extra miles west - you'll really apprecite it. In fact, the drive distance from Frisco (the I-70 junction for Breckenridge) to Vail is about the same as it is from I-70 to Winter Park - thing is you'll be able to get there a whole lot faster given I-70 is a fast interstate.



If you can handle diamond/double-diamond slopes then check out the back bowls of Vail, especailly after fresh snow. An experience you'll never forget!!